All Their Demons
by goodybags
Summary: The night after their trip in The Southern Raiders, Zuko finds Katara alone in the beach house courtyard. Hopefully not a one-shot. Slow Zutara. Maybe other pairings in future chapters. Rated T just to be safe. My first fic.
1. Chapter 1

Alright, this is my first fic so please don't be too harsh. I tried to be as simple as possible when writing this.

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

xxxxx

**All Their Demons**

It was ironic, messed up even, how they were hiding from the fire lord and his nation is his own beach house, and on the famous Ember Island itself, the most popular tourist spot in the nation. Then again, one said that the last time the fire lord visited was when his family was actually happy. That was a long time ago.

It might not have been the best choice of a hideout, but it was the most logical. No one would ever try to visit the place, not even the fire lord himself. People were too busy indulging themselves in the pleasures and festivities of Ember Island to explore the abandoned beach house. He wouldn't even care.

No matter how "safe" the place was, the former crown prince of the fire nation couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. He still had all those memories. He couldn't believe how his family used to visit this place for leisure and enjoyment. The last time they were all together, he was still a kid. His sister was a supposedly innocent little girl. His father enjoyed himself and his mother was still there with them. He thought about his mother. She was banished. He had lost her. The beach house reminded him of her. It tortured him constantly. He loathed the fact that they had to stay here. It didn't help that the comet is still one month away.

He shifted uncomfortably on his bed and looked outside the window. He wondered why he couldn't sleep. All the work he did helping the waterbender look for her mother's killer took its toll in him. Yet, he was awake. She had already forgiven him for his past mistakes. He was supposed to be relieved. Finally being accepted should have comforted him. Maybe that field trip got him thinking about his mother. _Maybe a walk would be good, _he decided.

xxxxx

The waterbender was awake. She was sitting on the courtyard, her back leaning on the courtyard fountain. The full moon's light shone brightly upon the courtyard. Like the former prince, she was wondering why she couldn't sleep.

_It's not because of the full moon_, she thought. _He seemed a bit off after we came back from our trip. I've already forgiven him. Why was he so quiet at dinner?_

A gust of cold wind blew on the area. _It's so cold_. She hugged her knees and looked up. _Maybe it was my fault. I shouldn't have done that, _remembering her cruelty back in their trip. _He saw me do it. He saw what I did to that man._ Bloodbending was a skill she swore she'd never use after her traumatic experience with Hama. Although she used it to save Sokka from stabbing Aang, it was on accident. She would've never used it on purpose. It was too dark of an art; too evil. With it, she could stop a person's heart and kill him right on the spot. The thought repulsed her. It haunted her. She used it right in front of the former prince. She used it on the man she thought killed her mother. She lost control.

She slowly became aware that she was shivering, but it's not from the cold. It was from guilt. She looked down and lowered her eyelids. _I should sleep. I should try. _She was about to stand up when a voice caused her to stop.

"Couldn't sleep?"

She whirled her head around and saw a sleepy eyed Zuko

xxxxx

Zuko went out of his room and walked through the corridor. _It's awfully cold tonight, _he thought. He passed by everyone's rooms but stopped when he reached Katara's. He heard everyone's breaths and snores but not hers. _She's not inside_? He wondered and opened her door. He confirmed his thoughts when he saw her empty, messy bed. _Where could she be_? _Should I look for her_?

Zuko just kept thinking. He didn't really know what to do. He was walking with no direction. _Maybe I should check the beach_? The courtyard was ahead. When he got there, someone caught his attention. Katara was leaning on the fountain, lost in thought.

He looked at her. She looked tired. Her head was droopy. Her hair was a mess. He wondered why she was sitting alone on the courtyard. Zuko called out to her.

"Couldn't sleep?" he said tiredly.

She turned around and looked at him and nodded. Zuko gazed at her softly. Her eyes looked dazed, like she didn't know what she was looking at. He walked slowly towards her while her eyes followed where he went.

"Do you mind?" he asked politely, offering to sit beside her. She closed her eyes and shook her head softly. Zuko sat down on her left, leaned on the fountain and looked at her. _She looks like she's about to fall asleep on the spot. _He wanted to say something, but she looked like she needed the silence. He contemplated for a bit but before he opened his mouth, she was the one who spoke first.

"Monster" she suddenly whispered, not at Zuko, but more to herself. Zuko was perplexed. _Why would she say that?_

"No, you're not a monster, Katara. You spared the man's life" Zuko reasoned, thinking why she suddenly talked about it.

She knew he was going to think about that. _He hadn't realized what I did._ "It's not that, Zuko" her voice was starting to shake. "Do you remember…when we were on the ship?" Zuko could tell that she was really bothered, but, by what? He remembered.

They had just snuck onto the ship. Upon opening the bridge door, Zuko disarmed the guard and was about to attack the captain when something happened. He didn't know what it was, but it was eerie. The man's hand just started…twitching. Then, the man's arm twisted and the next thing he saw the man was on the floor in a macabre position. The man's neck and limbs were twisted. He was alive, but completely helpless. Someone or something was controlling him. But how was it possible? Zuko dared to look behind him. His eyes went wide as he saw Katara looking at the captain with brutal eyes. Her hands were outstretched towards the captain's direction. What did she do?

"Yes…I remember" he whispered to her. He looked away from her and looked down. Zuko could tell that she didn't want to continue so he spoke up. "But…you don't have to talk about it…if you don't want to" His voice was soft and consoling.

Even though she didn't need to, Katara wanted to tell him everything right there. She thought maybe he could understand. Losing control was something he was good at. She smiled mentally at the logic. Katara didn't really know why she was willing to tell him. Maybe it was because he had the darkest past or maybe it was because he was the closest to her age. Spilling a secret was supposed to do some good to her. She can't help wonder why she would say it to Zuko. She didn't really know him much, but he seemed like a person that would be there when she needed someone. It made her feel better, somewhat.

She felt her head tilt right as her sleepiness took over.

"But-…" her sentence was cut off as she fell asleep. Zuko was alarmed at first but was relieved when he realized she just fell asleep. Her head was already on his shoulder. He could feel her warm breath graze his arm. He held up his right hand and lifted her head. Then, he stood up and bent down to scoop her up. Carrying the sleeping girl, he slowly walked into the house.

Zuko gently put her on her bed and slid a blanket over her. He brushed her hair over her ear and couldn't help but notice how peaceful she looked.

"Goodnight, Katara" he whispered quietly to her ear.

He then turned around, went out of the room, and closed the door. He went back to his room and made his way towards his bed. To his surprise, he felt that he was going to be able to sleep that night. The meeting with Katara actually cleared his head a bit. He smiled thankfully.

_Thank you_, he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

xxxxx

OOOOK what do you guys think? Any comment and criticisms are welcome. I know my writing style isn't that grand but hopefully it doesn't get too repetitive with all the hes and shes. I'm really sorry about that.

I'm hoping to write more. I don't feel like making this a one shot, but it could be if it isn't good enough.

Oh yeah, I changed the arrival of the comet a bit. So now it's a month instead of a few days. I think it would help with character development. I do not want Zutara or any shipping rushed for that matter. Plus, maybe I could make up some new adventures.

Also, I know Katara falling asleep before explaining was kinda cheap, but this is my first fic so I have to brainstorm more ideas. Hopefully you guys can enlighten me. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

**All Their Demons**

Chapter 2

29 days before Sozin's Comet

Zuko groaned as he opened his eyes. As a firebender, rising with the sun was always something he did without complaint. This time, however, he did. He must have gotten only about 3 hours of sleep. His muscles were sore and he was still tired from yesterday's trip. Ignoring his weariness, he sat up, put on his shirt, jumped off the bed, and walked out the door. He walked passed the corridor and noticed that everyone was still asleep. He expected that. No one in the group could wake up earlier than him.

A few steps later, he found himself standing in front of Katara's door. He gently opened the door and checked on her. She was still sleeping soundly, her head tilted to the left. _At least she's getting a good rest_, he thought to himself. _Agh, oh well, I might as well do something productive._ He closed her door and turned back. After washing up in the bathroom, he walked towards the courtyard.

He grumbled as the sun's rays hit his eyes. _Should I practice firebending_? He wondered. _That should be productive_, he added. Going to the middle of the courtyard, he spread his legs apart and threw a punch, which released small blast of fire. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the flames, which where surprisingly too puny for his taste. _I'm too tired for this_, he thought. _I'll just practice firebending with Aang later_. Sighing, he walked to the courtyard fountain, sat down with his legs crossed, leaned his back onto the fountain, and started meditating. Hopefully, he would feel better then.

xxxxx

Katara, still lying on her bed, outstretched her arms as she yawned. _It's still early. No one's probably up yet_, she assumed. She was a bit dizzy, but decided that she felt good enough to make breakfast. As she sat up, her hands found themselves feeling her bed. _My bed. I'm on my bed_. _Wait_, _I don't remember walking here_. She looked around, trying to recall what happened. _Okay, I was outside. It was late. Zuko was there. Oh_. _Zuko was there, _she repeated in her head. She felt her cheeks grow hot. Not only did she fall asleep on Zuko, he also carried her back to her room.

"Oh nooo"

_How did I get myself in that position_? She thought., starting to feel awkward, mostly with thoughts of Zuko himself, the former crown prince of the fire nation, the guy who chased them all around the world, the guy who actually carried her to her own room. _I guess...I have to thank him for that? Uh, yes, I'll do that_, _because he's my, uh, friend, yes, friend_. She started composing herself and took a few deep breaths to remove the blush on her face. She went to her bathroom, washed her face and looked in the mirror. _Okay, I look decent now_. She stood up, walked out her room and made her way to the former prince's room.

She opened his door and peeked inside. Seeing that he wasn't inside, she remembered that in the group, he always woke up the earliest. _I can't believe I forgot_, she told herself, feeling a bit stupid. _He's probably outside meditating, _she concluded. She left his room and turned towards the courtyard.

When the waterbender reached her destination, Zuko's figure instantly caught her attention. She wasn't expecting that at all, especially for a former prince like him.

Katara hasn't giggled that hard in a long time.

xxxxx

Zuko knew he fell asleep because the next thing he knew, Katara was calling his name, telling him to wake up. He noticed she was also giggling, but why?

"Zuko! Wake up!" she called. "That's not a good position to sleep in" she added, sounding amused.

"Hngg...what?" Zuko was dazed. He looked up and all he received is sunlight straight to his eyes. He looked back down, trying to make sense of what happened. _How long was I asleep_? He questioned himself. He rubbed his eyes and straightened himself up.

"I said, that's not a good position to sleep in" she repeated, amusement still prominent in her voice. He knew that wasn't good, for she was giggling uncontrollably, He hoped she wasn't giggling AT him but he already knew that was hopeless. A soft blush crept up his face, which rapidly heated his cheeks up.

"Why, uh, how was I sleeping?" he asked stiffly. She giggled even more. Zuko cringed at the sound of her giggles. _Oh, Agni_.

"Your head was on the floor and-..." she started. The smile on her face was so big it looked like it hurt. _That must hurt_, Zuko thought. _Oh my god, this hurts so much_. Apparently she was thinking the same thing. However, her thoughts had no control over her extreme amusement.

"Your butt was up" she quickly covered her mouth to stop herself from losing control. Her face was becoming red from all the giggling. "I didn't know princes could sleep like that!"

Zuko's blush intensified. If he put his face right beside his tunic, no one could probably tell a difference in color. He thought fast of something to say. He didn't want to look like an idiot.

"W-well...uh...you know...people, alotofpeoplesleeplikethat!" he blurted out, right after his obvious stuttering and stammering. He closed his eyes, looked up, and connected his right palm with his face. _What the hell did I just say_? In his mind, he was smacking his forehead over and over. Katara giggled even louder than before.

"Aww, it's okay Zuko" she said teasingly. "It'll be our little secret" she added, giggling some more.

"Ugh!" It was all Zuko could say.

Katara was having too much fun to remember what she was gonna tell him. Instead of thanking him for his actions the night before, she asked him a question. "What were you doing anyway, Zuko?" she asked, but her amusement still hasn't gone away. There was still a little bit of it left in her voice. _It's not like Zuko to let something like that happen_, she wondered.

"I don't know. I woke up really tired this morning. Since I couldn't firebend well in that condition, I just decided to meditate. Apparently, I dozed off" he explained. "I don't sleep like that I swear". Katara snickered at his statement. "What made you so tired, anyway?" she asked, forgetting about what happened. Zuko opened his mouth to answer when the cheery voice of Aang greeted them.

"Hey guys!"

xxxxx

"Morning!" he said, cheery as usual. He was skipping in their direction. Momo was perched on his right shoulder. "What's all the laughing about" he asked curiously.

Katara was the first one to respond. "Oh, why dont you ask Zuko?" she said. She looked at Zuko and flashed a mischievous looking grin. Zuko narrowed his eyes at her. "It's nothing, Aang" he said quickly. Seeing that another one in the group has woken up, Katara decided it was time to do her thing.

"I'm going to make breakfast" Katara announced to the both of them. "Want to help me, Prince butt?" she offered, smirking as she did so.

"Don't call me that!" Zuko yelled. Aang looked at him, one of his eyebrows raised. "I mean, uh, yeah I'll help you with breakfast" he said apologetically. "But why?" he added. "Because you've lived here and I've never been to the kitchen here before" she reasoned. _Ugh, logic_, Zuko cursed. Katara took his silence as a yes.

"Come to the kitchen then, you can make Aang do some firebending in the meantime" Katara said, and walked to the kitchen.

"Right, so, uh, what am I supposed to do Sifu Hotman?" Aang asked innocently. Zuko thought for a bit."Alright, since I'm going to help Katara make breakfast, you will stay here and do hotsquats. Then you can practice some basic firebending by yourself. I think you could do it today without my help" he directed. "And don't call me that!" he snapped hotly.

"Alright, alright. Wait. When do I stop?" he questioned. "You will stop when Sokka wakes up" Zuko stated. Aang's face turned hard, then his expression turned to true horror. Sokka was always the last one to wake up. The water tribe warrior would still be sleeping even hours after everyone has woken up. "Fine, fine..." Aang agreed. "Sifu Hotman" he muttered under his breath. Zuko snapped his head around. "What did you say?" he asked suspiciously. "Nothing!" the kid replied back. "Good" he said, and started to make his way towards the kitchen.

xxxxx

Katara was surprised to see the kitchen so clean. _The others must have cleaned it when Zuko and I were gone yesterday_. There were no dust stains or dust bunnies in sight. The sink was sparkly clean. _Aang must have done this. He loves clean things_. The tables were arranged neatly and there were bags of groceries on kitchen counter. _They bought groceries too_. She checked the bags and frowned as she looked at one of them. _All meat! Sokka! _She grumbled and looked at the other bags. They had vegetables, fruits and packets of rice. _Thank god it's not all meat_. _Well, this is a good start for breakfast! _She thought cheerfully. Humming, she started to remove the meat, vegetables, fruits and spices from the bags. She opened a cupboard and found the pots, pans and kitchen utensils to be clean themselves. She took a bunch of the materials and laid them out near the sink. Then, she took some vegetables and started washing them.

"No meat?"

Katara whirled around and found Zuko leaning on the kitchen arch, his arms crossed. "Sokka's gonna go berserk" he joked. Katara laughed. _Zuko's making jokes. How...strange. _"You too" she joked back, smiling. Zuko shrugged and smiled back.

"So?"

"Well, if you come and help me instead of trying to look pretty there then there might actually be some meat there" she said playfully. "You can help me tenderize the meat over there by the sink"

"As you wish, oh great foodbender" he said, as he walked towards the sink. Katara smiled and punched him lightly on his right arm. "Ouch, that hurt" he said sarcastically and laughed. _Wow, this is so weird. We're getting along so well, _she thought. _He's so...normal_. She smiled at the thought.

"So, uh, how do you 'tenderize' this thing?" she heard Zuko say behind her. Katara chuckled. _This is going to be a long day._

xxxxx

Okaaay so this probably isn't so bad. I think im getting worse lol. As you can see, I'm trying to make the chapters as long as the day goes but that takes a while and im not really good with writing long chapters lol. However, I dont think I will write one chapter for each day. I'll probably skip some days for them being too normal and stuff.

Also, I tend to make the scenes mostly zuko and katara since that is the point, for me at least.

Oh, I should also mention that I might not make them go on adventures and stuff. Just think of this thing as a one month "vacation" for the gaang while waiting for the comet. It doesnt sound right, I know, but im not really great with making adventures.

Please review, and if you guys have any advice or constructive criticisms that could help me improve they would be greatly appreciated.

For the next chapter, its going to be the night during the same day as this chapter. Its gonna be zuko and katara chatting again. I like scenes like that actually. Cliché I know, but I cant help it.

So, anyways, please review and comment!

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 2 and a half

**All Their Demons**

Chapter 2.5

29 days before Sozin's Comet

Katara was quite surprised that the day went by pretty quickly. Other than "cooking with Zuko", the rest of the day was pretty normal. Right after breakfast, everyone did their own thing. Aang and Zuko went and practiced their firebending, Sokka and Suko circled the beach house, Toph slept and Katara did chores. She was irritated then. Zuko could have at least helped her with the dishes since they cooked together.

Then, lunch time came and the same thing happened. Toph and Aang went earthbending for hours, her brother and his girlfriend went to town to spend some "quality time" together, Zuko practiced firebending, working on some kind of new move and Katara did nothing but sleep until she and Aang practiced waterbending before sundown.

The sky was already dark when she and Aang returned after waterbending. When they reached the beach house, everyone was eating around a campfire in one corner of the courtyard. Toph and Sokka were both gnawing on roast possum chicken legs and Suki was glaring at them, seemingly repulsed by how they ate. Zuko was sitting beside the Kyoshi warrior, eating in a much more sophisticated manner. He had rice and roast duck in a bowl and was savoring his food slowly, paying no attention to the water tribe warrior and the little blind girl.

"Where'd you guys get all the food?" Katara and Aang said in unison. Katara looked inside their circle and saw bowls of rice, a platter of roast possum chicken and roast duck, a big bowl of fire flakes and a plate of fire gummies. Everyone in the circle looked at her and Aang.

"Zuko cooked them" Sokka said casually. Suki smiled and nodded beside him.

"All of them?" Katara asked, astonished.

"Just the possum chicken and roast duck" Zuko answered. "Sokka and Suko bought the fire flakes, gummies and rice" he continued.

"Oh yeah, I bought all of these myself!" Sokka said proudly. Suki interjected. "Sokka if I hadn't told you, you wouldn't have bought anything" the brown haired girl said, narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend. "Oh, same thing!" Sokka whined, making Suki scowl.

"Sparky's chicken and duck aren't bad at all, Sugar Queen" Toph told her. "You've got competition" Katara pouted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the two teenagers asked together.

"Oh, nothing, nothing" Toph said, waving off the subject. The waterbender and firebender both looked at her. She grinned at their direction but not specifically at them.

Katara sighed. "Anyway, shall we eat, Aang?" she asked, looking at her left where the airbender was supposed to be. To her surprise, he wasn't there anymore. Aang was already between Zuko and Sokka, grabbing rice and fire gummies and stuffing them into his mouth. Katara smacked her head. Toph was laughing at her useless offer to Aang.

"Too slow, Sugar Queen" Toph said, snickering.

"Aw, quiet, you" Katara snapped. "I'm going to eat". She sat in between Sokka and Aang and started taking some roast duck and possum chicken. She noticed Zuko stare at her when she started moving the duck wing closer to her mouth.

She took a bite.

xxxxx

"Well, who knew you could cook" Katara said as she watched Zuko wash the dishes.

"I went to town right after you went waterbending with Aang. I watched the stalls. It's quite simple really" he explained. "The secret is in the heat of the fire, which, of course, only firebenders can efficiently control" he added, sounding smug.

"So we have a new group chef huh?" Katara challenged.

"Oh, no, no, no" he started. "It's too much work" he whined. Katara snickered.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to continue work like this". Now it was her turn to be smug.

"Well, like Sokka said, it's woman work" Zuko said, chuckling. Katara stared at him.

"Ugh, boys" she grunted and turned around. Zuko called after her. "Wait, where are you going?"

"The beach" she answered. "Do you wanna come?" she suddenly added in an awkward and hopeful sort of voice. Zuko really had no reason to decline. "Sure! I'll go after I'm done with the dishes. You can go first" he said. "Oh, I'll see you later then" she said somewhat awkwardly. However, she did sound a bit happier.

_Waterbenders and beaches_, Zuko thought. _They just can't get away from the water_. He put the last of the dishes in the cupboard and dried his hands. As he walked out of the kitchen and passed the courtyard, he saw Sokka and Suki sitting closely near the campire from dinner. Sokka's arm was around Suki's shoulder. When Zuko walked right in front of the couple, Sokka spoke up.

"Hey, Zuko, where ya going?" he asked casually.

"The beach" he said openly.

"Oooh, isn't that romantic! Going there alone eh?" he joked. Suki giggled beside him.

"No, I'll be with Katara"

As soon as he said her name, Sokka stared at him. He stared at Zuko hard. Then he narrowed his eyes at the firebender. Zuko stared back, matching the intensity of the water tribe boy's stare. There was no way they were going to lose to each other in a stare down.

"WITH Katara?" Sokka asked suspiciously with an emphasis on the word with. Zuko's concentration faltered as he understood what Sokka was trying to imply. His stare at Sokka was interrupted. His eyes found the ground to look at. "WITH my SISTER?" Sokka continued accusingly.

"I meant, uh, Katara will be there, because, uh, she asked me to go" Zuko replied awkwardly. He became uncomfortable as Sokka's hands started to move toward his meteor sword.

"I see, I see" Sokka said. Zuko nodded at him.

"Alright then" the warrior said, shrugging. Zuko was about to breathe a sigh of relief but Sokka suddenly unsheathed his meteor sword and pointed it directly at him. He felt terrified as Sokka looked at him with killing intent.

"Sokka, they're probably just hanging out as friends" Suki interrupted, but was smiling slyly at Zuko.

"I know" Sokka said, sheathing his sword back. "I'm just messing with him" he said smugly, then grinned widely. Zuko glared at him. "Aw, come on Zuko, it's just for fun!" Sokka reasoned. Suki, in the meantime, giggled at Zuko.

"Uh, I'll be going then" Zuko finally said. "See you guys". Sokka sat back down and put his arm around Suki again.

"Have fun at the BEACH with KATARA, Zuko!" the brown haired girl said playfully, then winked at him. Zuko gulped. _Oh, man, it's not like that_, he thought. _Damn you, Suki_.

xxxxx

The waterbender was sitting down along the shore, the waves delicately brushing her feet. Her gaze was fixed on the horizon but wasn't focused on anything. She was lost in thought. She has been wandering off by herself too many times, only to be met by the firebender most of the time. Strangely enough for her, his company helped her. Instead of keeping her thoughts to herself, she felt that she could tell him anything, and he would understand. She found it weird how she completely trusted him now, after chasing them for so many months and even betraying her in Ba Sing Se. However, he's changed a lot after joining the group. She was thankful for that, and she liked it.

"Um, hi"

Katara turned her head around and saw Zuko standing somewhat awkwardly behind her. "So, uh, how's the water?" he asked lamely, adding a small grin to his pitiful attempt to start a conversation. Katara couldn't help but giggle. _Oh, my, he's such a dork_, she thought. She smiled at him anyway and beckoned him to sit beside her. Zuko followed with no hesitation.

"What took you so long, Prince?" Katara asked, and looked at him.

"Your brother and his girlfriend were pestering me"

"About what?"

"Oh, nothing, just random stuff" Zuko told her, remembering the stupid things they did and said to him moments ago. Katara didn't want to seem so nosy so she just let Zuko's answer slide. She looked back at the horizon.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she said. Zuko looked at the horizon and saw the vast basin of water in front of them being illuminated by the moonlight. It was, in a sense, beautiful. "It is" Zuko said dreamily and continued to marvel at the sight. They stayed quiet for a while, appreciating the beauty that the heavens provided. Katara was especially entranced by the sight. As a waterbender, she thought nothing could be more beautiful than the moon and its light.

It soothed Katara to know that even in the midst of war; she could still share a nice moment like this with a friend. She looked at the boy beside her. His gaze was locked upon the moonlight. He looked calm and relaxed. _He looks like he's finally at peace_, she thought. _It's weird to think that you used to be an enemy_, she continued.

Katara then suddenly remembered his deed. She decided that it was time to thank him for what he did the night before. She took a deep breath and spoke.

"Um, Zuko?" she called softly. Zuko was snapped out of his own trance. "Yeah?"

"I want to thank you". Katara found herself talking softer than she expected.

"What for?" He looked clueless.

"Um, for carrying me back to my room last night" she said, looking away from Zuko, blushing slightly. "Oh, uh, no problem?" he replied awkwardly, his cheeks also turning red.

They let silence take over them for a while, neither having ideas on how to start a conversation. Moments later, Zuko spoke.

"Tell me about last night?" he requested in a soft voice.

"Last…night?"

"Yeah, before you fell asleep"

"Oh, right". Flashbacks of the night before flooded Katara's head. She wanted to tell Zuko about her loss on control; how she subdued that man with a horrible ability.

They stayed silent again for a few moments. Katara prepared herself mentally and began to tell Zuko what really happened. She needed this. She needed to let it out.

"I…lost control, Zuko" Katara started, taking a deep breath. "I was blinded by my anger over my mother's death"

"I wasn't supposed to use IT" she said quietly.

"It?" Zuko asked skeptically.

"You see, we visited this Fire Nation Island a few months ago. We met this old woman. It turned out that she was from the Southern Water Tribe and is a waterbender like me! I was excited to have met her at first since we would share our tribe's history and waterbending techniques but…I regretted ever meeting her after…" she trailed off, sounding scared. Zuko let her compose herself for a moment. He didn't dare interrupt. All he could do was listen. For now, it's the best thing he could do for her.

"On that island, there was a mystery, Zuko. People were disappearing on the nights of the full moon. No one knew how or why it happened…until we found out". Katara swallowed and continued.

"She took me to the woods that night and told me that the used to be a Fire Nation prisoner. Then, she told me how she escaped a fire nation prison long ago. She said the prison was devoid of any water and moisture to prevent her from waterbending. But, in her desperation, she discovered something, something useful, something dark". Katara looked at Zuko.

"Zuko, did you know that we're mostly made of fluids…?" she asked nervously. His eyes widened. He instantly knew what she was talking about. _No way_, he thought, shocked. Katara stared at the ground and continued her tale.

"Yes, Zuko. Hama discovered that as long as there's life, there's water. She used the very prison guards that imprisoned her. They were helpless. They couldn't do anything for she was bending their…_blood_". She felt her eyes become moist and a lump started forming down her throat.

"She wanted me to learn it so I could continue her revenge on the Fire Nation. But I didn't want to. We dueled after that and she was defeated for a moment…until my brother and Aang came" she said, sounding horrified at the last part of her sentence.

"My brother and Aang thought she was outgunned and outnumbered but…she wasn't. She quickly took control of them and started using them against me. I did my best to try to incapacitate them by freezing them on trees. Finally, she got fed up and let Aang and Sokka charge at each other. Sokka's sword was outstretched towards Aang. There was no way I could stop them from colliding. I had no choice Zuko…". She was shaking slightly. It was a terryfing tale, Zuko must admit. Even he was scared for her.

"It was horrible, Zuko…do you know how it feels like? Feeling the blood of a person flowing in their body, and having complete control over it? I felt like I was going to go mad. I swore never to do that again but…I did, Zuko. I can't believe I did it…". Tears started to flow down her face. She buried her face in her hands, not wanting Zuko to see her like that. Her tears were flowing through her fingers and fell and sank into the sand.

"It's going to be okay, Katara" Zuko whispered. He pulled Katara's hands away from her face and slowly embraced her, letting her head rest on his chest. "You won't use it ever again, I know it" he told her. "You're a very strong person. You won't have to use it ever again" he reassured.

"I know how it feels, Katara, losing control. I've done it too many times" he said, and smiled a bit at her.

"My temper has gotten the best of me too many times" he then said sadly.

"My scar was an aftermath of that particular problem". Katara looked up at him. _His scar? How?_ She thought. Zuko then gave her his final acknowledgement.

"Everyone has their demons, and it's our duty to not let them take over us"

Katara wondered at his statement. It was powerful. She then realized everyone has their demons, no matter how normal or innocent they may seem.

Zuko let go of Katara. "Are you alright now?" he asked in a concerned voice.

Her crying had subsided but her eyes were red and puffy and there were some tears left. She looked at Zuko affectionately and thought she couldn't have asked for a better companion. _You calm me_, she thought at him.

"Yes" she said, smiling at tenderly. "Thank you". She then proceeded to hug Zuko. They both hugged each other tightly for a few minutes, letting their emotions out and letting themselves get soothed by the gentle contact. After a while, they pulled away from each other slowly. Katara's hand then moved towards Zuko's face.

"I hope you'll tell me about your scar someday" she said gently, moving her fingers along his scar. Zuko let the contact happen. He had no insecurities about her touching it. She was…different.

"I will, Katara" he said softly.

"And you will be the first one to hear it" he whispered to her quietly so she wouldn't hear.

Zuko also felt that he could tell her anything. He wasn't sure why but it just felt…right. He looked at her. She was still red and puffy eyed but he couldn't take his eyes off her. There was just something about her presence that Zuko found…pleasant. He didn't know what it was. It was something other people lacked when they talked to him.

"Will you carry me back to my room again tonight?" he heard Katara suddenly say. Zuko looked at her. He couldn't say no. She looked really tired, her energy drained from her story telling. From her question, he knew she wasn't thinking much either.

"Even every night if I had to" he said, smiling at her.

Katara smiled back. She rested her head against Zuko's shoulder, closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

xxxxx

Once again Zuko found himself carrying Katara back to her room. They talked much longer than he expected. Everyone was already asleep when he returned with the waterbender in his arms. He laid her gently on her bed yet again and slid her blanket over her. Zuko brushed hair out of her face. He leaned in, thinking of giving her a kiss on her forehead, but hesitated at the last moment. He shook his head and sighed.

"Goodnight then, Katara" he whispered quietly at her ear.

Like the night before, he returned to his room feeling much calmer. She had a strange effect on him. He calms much easier when she's around. He liked the feeling. He liked her.

Zuko went to his bed, cleared his head, and went to sleep.

xxxxx

Sorry for the slow update guys, I have exams this week. Also, as you guys can see, im still sticking to my plan, in which the fic is 30 days before the comet.

Lol for the last part, when "he liked her" it didn't mean he liked liked her. They're not at that stage yet. Its too soon. That thought was mainly friendly stuff yeah.

Anyway thanks for bearing with the slowness.

Please rate and review!


End file.
